Judges

The book of Judges, chapter 5, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 5 New English Translation

Celebrating the Victory in Song

   1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song:
   2 "When the leaders took the lead in Israel, When the people answered the call to war - Praise the LORD!
   3 Hear, O kings! Pay attention, O rulers! I will sing to the LORD! I will sing to the LORD God of Israel!
   4 O LORD, when you departed from Seir, when you marched from Edom's plains, the earth shook, the heavens poured down, the clouds poured down rain.
   5 The mountains trembled before the LORD, the God of Sinai; before the LORD God of Israel.
   6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael caravans disappeared; travelers had to go on winding side roads.
   7 Warriors were scarce, they were scarce in Israel, until you arose, Deborah, until you arose as a motherly protector in Israel.
   8 God chose new leaders, then fighters appeared in the city gates; but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, among forty military units in Israel.
   9 My heart went out to Israel's leaders, to the people who answered the call to war. Praise the LORD!
   10 You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention!
   11 Hear the sound of those who divide the sheep among the watering places; there they tell of the LORD's victorious deeds, the victorious deeds of his warriors in Israel. Then the LORD's people went down to the city gates -
   12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners of war, son of Abinoam!
   13 Then the survivors came down to the mighty ones; he LORD's people came down to me as warriors.
   14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, they follow after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers. From Makir leaders came down, from Zebulun came the ones who march carrying an officer's staff.
   15 Issachar's leaders were with Deborah, the men of Issachar supported Barak; into the valley they were sent under Barak's command. Among the clans of Reuben there was intense heart searching.
   16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben - there was intense searching of heart.
   17 Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan - why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? Asher remained on the seacoast, he stayed by his harbors.
   18 The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; Naphtali charged on to the battlefields.
   19 Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought, at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no silver as plunder.
   20 From the sky the stars fought, from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera.
   21 The Kishon River carried them off; the river confronted them - the Kishon River. Step on the necks of the strong!
   22 The horses' hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly.
   23 'Call judgment down on Meroz,' says the LORD's angelic messenger; 'Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the LORD's battle, to help in the LORD's battle against the warriors.'
   24 The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.
   25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds.
   26 Her left hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workmen's hammer. She "hammered" Sisera, she shattered his skull, she smashed his head, she drove the tent peg through his temple.
   27 Between her feet he collapsed, he fell limp and was lifeless; between her feet he collapsed and fell limp, in the spot where he collapsed, there he fell limp - violently murdered!
   28 Through the window she looked; Sisera's mother cried out through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so slow to return? Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses delayed?'
   29 The wisest of her ladies answer; indeed she even thinks to herself,
   30 'No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder - a girl or two for each man to rape! Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth, for the neck of the plunderer!'
   31 May all your enemies perish like this, O LORD! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!" And the land had rest for forty years.

King James Version

   1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
   2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
   3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
   4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
   5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.
   6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
   7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
   8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
   9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
   10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
   11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
   12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
   13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
   14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
   15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
   16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
   17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
   18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
   19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
   20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
   21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
   22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
   23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
   24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
   25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
   26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
   27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
   28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
   29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
   30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
   31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.